As a ten year old, the highlight of my year wasn't my birthday itself but the ritual that preceded it: combing through the three-quarter-inch thick Cabela's or Bass Pro Shops catalogs my dad subscribed to. Each page was a gateway to a life with gear for days.
Ordering was done via the wall-mounted corded phone and speaking with a sales agent. Waiting for these treasures was all-consuming. A four to eight week shipping window was not unusual. That's basically a child-sized prison sentence where patience goes to die.
Fast forward to modern life, an era of sweet, sweet, instant gratification. The protracted package journey has been replaced by digital tracking. Now, you can watch your package pause in a snowstorm in Sheboygan or take a detour through another Denver. This little porthole into the journey sprinkles a pinch of serenity onto what could otherwise be a buffet of uncertainty.
It turns out this shift had a profound impact on FedEx as a business. My friend Zach Buckner, former CEO at Relay Foods, shared a story about his chat with a very important FedEx executive (imagine someone who owns more than one tie). He described that before package tracking, FedEx had Net Promoter Scores (NPS) that were in the dumps, and customer calls were sky-high and expensive. They flipped on the tracking switch, and blammo—customer satisfaction soared, and annoyed calls plummeted. Why? All because people now knew where their shit was. Whether on time or delayed, transparency made all the difference.
This story has stuck with me. It's reshaped my approach to all my communication across life and business. I ended up referring to it as "FedExing" with my teammates. Anyone who's worked with me knows this framework very well. It brings the clarity and predictability of package tracking to our daily tasks.
A 3x weekly check-in might look like:
- What did you just get done?
- What are you doing next, and how long will it take?
- What level of clarity (out of 10) do you have about what needs doing, and how to do it successfully?
- Are there any blockers that might prevent you from finishing?
In conversation it sounds like:
Teammate: "I'm running behind this week because of being sick on Monday"
Me: "Have you fedexed the client that information yet?"
Yes, this routine boosts productivity (yawn). More important to me, it creates ease and some peace in projects that are often anything but. As a pattern, it builds space for collaboration and connection. By transforming the opaque into the transparent, we swap uncertainty for clarity. Instead of fabricating stories to fill gaps, we can share a co-experienced reality.
Delays and disruptions are inevitable—whether by hurricane or buggy software, but communication that that clarifies what's happening and how you're adapting is an absolute superpower. It helps us stay on track toward goals, foster a culture of honesty, and stay relational, but Clarity Man probably couldn't land a deal with Marvel.
I initially adopted the FedEx method to calm my own easily agitated nerves, but it turned out to be something that others deeply appreciated as well. Now, it's a staple in the manual of how to work with Matthew, and what to expect when you're my client. It's shown me how to manage expectations and navigate the chaos of everyday life with a measure of flexibility and predictability.
As children, we could indulge in the thrill of anticipation because our parents handled the worries. Now, we don’t have that luxury. But when I aim at clarity through light frequent communication, it allows folks to return to that place of childlike anticipation — eagerly awaiting a deliverable meant to surprise and delight. That's the playground where I choose to spend my days.
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